Ensemble La Cigale

Audiences around the world enjoy traditional Celtic music, but many do not realize that the familiar sounds of this repertoire have been popular for centuries. With “Up to the Morning Early”, La Cigale invites audiences to discover the roots of Celtic music with a programme of Baroque music performed on period instruments. The programme features works by the great Irish harpist Turlough Carolan and the Scottish composers James Oswald, General John Reid and William McGibbon. The ensemble adds its own arrangements and improvisations on Welsh and Scottish airs to create a joyous fusion of popular and classical, ancient and modern styles.​

​MUSICIANS

Madeleine Owen (lute and theorbo)

Sara Lackie (Baroque harp)

Marie-Laurence Primeau (viola da gamba)

Vincent Lauzer (recorders) and/or Sari Tsuji (Baroque violin)

AWARDS

Nominee – 2013 Opus Award Album «Tiorba Obbligata»​

Scot's Lament, Oswald

Anhawdd ymadael, Jones

Carolan's Concerto, O'Carolan

This is not one of those “let’s-see-how-these-folk-tunes-sound-on-our-quaint-early-music-instruments” recordings. The literature from Scotland, Ireland, and Wales is taken … from published sources in the 18th and early 19th centuries and expertly played by Montreal-based Ensemble La Cigale on appropriate instruments. Listeners will want to send their own thank you to Ensemble La Cigale for producing such a warm and engaging recording.

— Benjamin Dunham, Early Music America​​

La Cigale has a hit on its hands with this collection of Baroque instrumental music from Celtic countries. The tight ensemble playing, sensitivity to style and musical moods, and clear production values, showcase a range of performances from the witty to the danceable to thoughtful to florid.